The Simple Sprout

Friends, today I am excited to share with you a new local company that I accidentally stumbled across on a cold, rainy day in December. When running a quick errand on the McKinney Square one morning, I passed a little pop-up shop in front of a store and honestly felt bad for the two women manning the booth on such a yucky day. Undeterred by the weather, however, they happily invited me to sample some of their products, which I soon learned were the most delicious gourmet nut butters I had ever tasted. And y’all, nut butters are not typically something that tickles my fancy, but these from The Simple Sprout absolutely did. Friends, they are AMAZING!

I took home a jar of the favorite I had sampled which was Coco-Chia-Cashew. My family and I snacked on it over the next few weeks, and I decided to reach out to them, wanting to learn more. The Simple Sprout business partners (Laura Thornthwaite and Alison Worthen) met with me earlier this month, excited to share their journey to adopt a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle and how it led them to create these tasty, organic when possible, minimally processed condiments.

The friends and business partners met 2 and a half years ago at a Pilates/Yoga fusion class, and soon learned they had more in common than just yoga. Both moms, both interested in whole food plant-based eating, and both passionate about sharing the lifestyle prompted them to start The Simple Sprout, an online coaching platform for those also interested in plant-based eating. While launching The Simple Sprout and working with local clients, Laura and Alison were also testing recipes by combining unique, unexpected ingredients to make wholesome nut butters with minimal ingredients and no added sugars, something very difficult to find in stores. The results were so incredible, more than one person commented, “You should sell these somewhere!”

They tested the theory when a friend offered to host a “home party” for a group of her friends. “Seeing the reactions of people tasting our butters was a wonderful experience in itself,” Alison told me of the party’s success, and in the summer of 2018, The Simple Sprout launched 9 products consisting of 4 nut butters and 5 fruit butters, and soon will be adding syrups to the mix.

The Nut Butters include:

Cinna-Almond

Coco-Chia-Cashew

Matcha Macadamia

Sunbutter

AND NOW Butterscotch Peanut Butter

The Fruit Butters include:

Apple Cider

Three Berry

Balsamic Fig

Apricot

Spiced Peach

Each product has 6 ingredients or less, and are made and packaged right here in McKinney, Texas! They have also gone to great lengths to ensure they are a zero-waste company, “we use the paste that comes from making date syrup to act as the sweetener for a jam,” Laura told me. “Nothing is wasted.”

Friends, all of you must stock your pantries with The Simple Sprout! If you pack lunches and make PB&Js, use The Simple Sprout! If you like apples and peanut butter as a snack, use The Simple Sprout! Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein, but also provide good fats that your body needs. Forget those well-known grocery store brands. Have you ever read their ingredient lists? Try The Simple Sprout and eat something that is actually good for your body. Laura explained it so well this way, “One of the most intimate relationships we have is deciding what to incorporate into our bodies.” Have you ever thought of food choices in that light before? I hadn’t until now and am so moved by her statement’s insightfulness.

Although The Simple Sprout has put WFPB coaching on the side while working to launch these delicious spreads, their passion for teaching has not waivered. Learning and accepting new truths are barrier-breaking, and this is what they hope is in store for their customers. Laura and Alison are a wealth of knowledge and I encourage you to reach out to them if you have any questions about their products or learning more about the whole food plant-based lifestyle. “Through our nut and fruit butters, we hope to bring interest, beauty and satisfaction into WFPB practices. We want everyone to know you aren’t missing anything…just a few shades of brown.” Laura smiled. “And you are gaining every color of the rainbow,” Alison added.